Toor Dal

Dal, or lentils, is an Indian staple that is made into a thin soup eaten with rice. There are different types of dal for different soups, and the flavor changes depending on the region. This recipe, made from split yellow pigeon peas, called toor dal, is from Gujarat, in northwestern India. Gujarat known for the sweet, salty, and sour flavors of its cuisine, hence the use of tamarind chutney and lime juice.

For  3-4 people as a side with rice and other vegetable dishes, you will need:

• 1/3 cup toor dal, soaked in 2 cups of water, overnight. This sharply reduces cooking time. (Toor dal is available in Indian grocery stores. Try to find one that is dry and hasn't been coated in oil.)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion, optional (Since Indian meals usually include more than one dish, and dal is usually served with rice, try to keep your ingredients in balance. For example, if your rice dish contain onions or garlic, leave them out of the dal. You will be surprised at how much flavor you will achieve without them.)
• 1 tablespoon diced fresh ginger
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup diced plum tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Lal mirchi, to taste (Indian red chili powder. Since it is so spicy, taste it first to gauge your heat tolerance and add it 1/8 teaspoon at a time. If you can't find Indian chili powder, try cayenne or hot paprika.)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons tamarind chutney (This sweet and tangy brown sauce generally contains dates, tamarind concentrate, spices, and chili. I prefer the Swad brand, which you can find at an Indian grocery store, though others will do. If you can't find it in your market, you can use tamarind concentrate - a liquid, as opposed to tamarind paste - which you can find in an East Asian grocery store. Tamarind concentrate is stronger than the chutney, so want to cut the quantity by half, and add an equal amount of sugar.
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• Water
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• Chopped cilantro, to garnish

Directions: 

Rinse your soaked lentils well. They will have tripled in volume overnight, so you'll now have about 1 cup of uncooked lentils. Add to a large saucepan with 2 cups cold water (a 1:2 lentil to water ratio). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a steady simmer, and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Skim off foam that develops - this will reduce gas for your dinner guests. Remove from heat.

VAGAR: The Vagar is the process of toasting the spices in oil before adding them to the dish. This brings out their flavor and sweetness and tempers any bitterness.

In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and the cumin seeds over medium high heat, allowing the seeds to brown for about 30 seconds once the oil is hot. (The cumin seeds will burn very quickly, so err on the side of caution.) Next, add the mustard seeds, frying them until they begin to pop. Reduce the heat to medium, add the ginger, cook for a few seconds, then add the onion, if using, and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly.

Now add the tomatoes, salt, turmeric, lal mirchi, tamarind chutney, and coriander powder. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring, until your mixture has reduced down to a paste. Pour into the cooked lentils and mix well. Add water until your toor dal is the consistency of buttermilk, and you have about 4 cups of soup.  Adjust the salt and lal mirchi to taste.

Using a blender, or an immersion blender, if you have one, puree the soup until the lentils are broken apart and smooth, but you still have some light texture and flecks of color from the tomatoes. Add the lime juice and chopped cilantro right before serving.